Sapp House · Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Panama City spent more per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Panama City’s city government spent $78 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $2,248 per resident. Water and other utilities ($26.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Panama City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,877 per resident in 2022: more than 74% of them
Panama City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,877 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 39 Florida cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,374, and the middle half spent $928–$1,822. Panama City spent more than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($7 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Florida cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Panama City itself left out).
About $2,248 per resident a year, or $6.16 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 23% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Panama City reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,877 · 2023: $2,097 · 2024: $2,248.
full-time in March 2025, up from 575 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,752 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.65% of the home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Panama City’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Panama City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Panama City →
Who’s in charge in Panama City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Panama City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on pcgov.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 53 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (34,690).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Bay County School District
Panama City’s K–12 school district, shared with Callaway, Lynn Haven, Mexico Beach, Panama City Beach, Parker and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,843 per pupil, $7,480 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Florida districts overall: 55% local, 29% state, 15% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Panama City’s votes are counted by county
Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Panama City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Bay County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican72.8%71,497 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat25.7%25,201 votesOthers: 1.5% (1,459 votes).
Most votes in Bay County: Donald J Trump
Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%
100% of Panama City lies in Bay County. Every 2024 race in Bay County is on the county’s page.
Bay County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Panama City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: pcgov.org ↗
- 2Florida HouseState representatives
- 3Florida SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Florida
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Panama City compares with the towns next door
Panama City spent $1,877 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,064 to $1,132. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lynn Haven | $1,064 | $1,902 |
| Springfield | $1,132 | $990 |
| Panama City | $1,877 | $1,752 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Panama City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Panama City’s government
How much does Panama City spend per resident?
About $2,248 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,877 was more than 74% of 39 Florida cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Panama City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,752 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.65% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see pcgov.org.
Who runs Panama City’s government?
See pcgov.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Panama City yet.
How did Panama City vote in 2024?
Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Panama City alone. Bay County, where 100% of Panama City lies, voted Trump 72.8%, Harris 25.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Panama City?
651 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.4M (about $40.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Panama City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Jay Trumbull) and State House District 6 (Griff Griffitts). The House district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Panama City’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →